Instrument panel board



March 4,'1Q30. J, R, FADESKYl 1,749,353

INSTRUMENT PANEL BOARD Filed July 28, 1928 @Zw v@LKwww?' mslm ` lightopenings can Patented Mar. 4, 1930 1 [Least UNITED '*STATEQS PifrnNfI;AOFFICE r.IOIIN R'. PADRSKY, or LA GROSSE, WISCONSIN, AssIGNoR, RY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

`'.lO MOTO METER GAUGE &.EQUIP1VIENT CORPORATION, 0F LONG ISLAND CITY,NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARR INSTRUMENT PANEL BOARD Application inedJuly as,

This invention relates to instrument panel boards and particularly thoseused'upon motor cars. 1

In' such panels it has been desirablev to arrange the instruments sothat the dilfused light from electric lights will be deflected upon thedials 'ofy the instruments. In order to do this it has been customary tosecure shields to the panel board partially surrounding the openings inthe panel where the elec-A tric light is positioned and these shieldsextend around the bulb of the light in away to prevent the direct 'raysfalling upon the instrument dials. In some cases the shields ex- V tendas much as of the circumferential distance around the light opening andthis has required considerable care to make and secure the separateparts, so that they will fit accurately together. y

This improvement has resulted in a saving of labor and material andinsures a more accurate and uniform positioning of the shield upon thepanel. It has also been found desirable to form additional shields aboutsome of the instrument openings, thereby further improving the characterof the lighting of the panels. In some cases the shields about the bedispensed with and the shields about the instrument openings be dependedupon to diuse the light.

In some instances, as explained, the shield extends over more than twothirds of the circumference of the opening and in some instances theshield` is preferably non-continu ous, consisting of a plurality ofparts spaced slightly apart, and in all instances it is a decidedadvantageto dispense with the necessary fitting of the parts and formthem in a way to insure their being accuratelyV and firmly secured witha minimum amount of labor and material.

In a general way these objects are accomplished by first forming thepanel plate with irregular shaped openings and thereafterl bending theoffset portion to form the shield and thereby at the same time producinga substantially perfect circular opening.

Other objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the followingdescription 192s. serial No. '295,947'.

To enable others skilled in the art so fullyv to apprehend theunderlyingfeatures hereof that they may embody the same inthe various wayscontemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred typicalconstruction have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in suchdrawings, like characters of reference ldenote corresponding partelthroughout all the views, of which :e- In the drawings Figure l is afront view of the panel with partially formed light open ings on theleft half and completely formed light openings on the right half. Fig.2is a perspective view showing the offset or irregular portion turned upto form the shield. Fig. 3 is -afront view of part of a panel showingnon-continuous shields and Fig. 4 is a front view `of a modiiiedStructure having its offset portion turnedup to form a shield, whileFig. 5 is a left end view of Fig. 4. e f

Referring to the drawings lindicates an instrument panel; the instrumentopenings are indicated by 2 and the electric light openings are markedV3.

As heretofore explained, some 1of these openings are formed irregularlin shape due to offset portions, and these oset portions openings 3'theshield is' intended to extend around substantially two 'thirdsoftheci'r-l cular opening. .Consequently the offset por tion is formedvwith that end inview, and when this offset portion is'turned up at rightangles to the panel the upturned part forms the shield while the bentedge at the intere section of Jche panel and the oset portion, togetherwith thel curved portion intermediate the oifset ends, will form` thedesired circular opening. As compared with. old methods of forming theshields of the proper shape and then litting them to the openings v andthereafter securingthem to the panel, it 1s apparent that thisimprovement repre# sents a considerable saving in labor and material.Moreover, this improved method is much more expeditious and satisfactorythan the old method because it avoids the accuracy and care required inthe old method-to secure a perfect fit and a secure fastening.

In the modified structure Fig. l there is shown a light opening ofrectangular shape with offset portions 5 of such character anddimensions that when these offset portions are turned up a regularrectangular shaped opening is thereby formed With integral shieldssuitable to co-operate with the rest of thepanel to cause the properlighting effect upon the dials of the instrument, it being understoodthat this improvement is especially designed for use with instrumentboards having the concealed lighting elfect. It is also possible to formthe shields in sections as shown in Fig. 3.

Without further analysis, the foregoing lwill sofully reveal the gist ofthis invention tions by retaining one or more of the features that, fromthe standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of either the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention and. therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intendedto be, comprehended Within the meaningand range of equivalency of the`following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to securethe following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, byLetters Patent of United States 1. rlhe method of manufacturing aninstrument panel board which consists in cuttingout of sheet metal asuitable blank; forming an aperture in said blank through which aninstrument therebehind may be observed, said aperture being initiallyformed Withan irregular contour and affording a projecting portion inthe plane of said blank and extending inwardly from the periphery ofsaid aperture; and then deflecting saidv projecting portion out of theplane ofsaid blank andV bending and stretching said portion to cause itto conform to the general shape. of said aperture andato constitute asubstantially perpendicular flange about a portion lof said aperture.

2. The method of manufacturing an instrument panel board which comprisescutting out of sheet metal a. suitablev blank; forming anV aperture insaid blank, said aperture being initially formed of an irregular shapeandcomprising a plurality' of arcuate Walls. connected together bysubstantially radial Walls, the portion of said blank connecting saidsubstantially radial Walls comprising an inwardly projecting sectorarranged in the plane of said blank; deflecting said sector out oftheplane of said blank along a line comprising a continuation of one ofsaid arcuate Walls to give to said aperture a regular shape; and bendingand stretching said sector to cause it to lie in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said blank to constitute a flange about said aperture.

8. The method of manufacturing an instrument panel board having anintegrally formed light deflector, which comprises cutting out of sheetmetal a Asuitable blank; forming therein two apertures one adapted toreceive a light bulb and the other adapted to permit observation of aninstrument placed therebehind, one of said apertures being of irregularform and bounded by a plurality of arcuate `Walls of unequal radii andsubstantially radial Walls connecting said arcuate Walls, the portion ofthe blank connecting said radial Walls comprising an inwardly projectingsector; deflecting said sector out of the plane of said blank on an arc!JOHN R. PADESKY.

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